


By my side

by ScottieIsImpatient



Category: Murdoch Mysteries
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nightmares, Romantic Fluff, but i tried, i cant write fluff or romance, i love these two with all my heart, written in five minutes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24598492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScottieIsImpatient/pseuds/ScottieIsImpatient
Summary: Some old memories resurface. Fortunately, Jack is there.
Relationships: Jack Walker/Llewellyn Watts
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	By my side

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, it's short. Not gonna lie, I'm shit at writing fluff. I can't write it without the angst, hence the nightmare and memories n stuff. What can I say? It's fun to torture the most innocent characters. Heheheheh...
> 
> It's not that bad here. I promise. 
> 
> No, really!

“Goodbye, Llewellyn.”

Those chilling words echoed in his ears as he stood frozen, unable to do anything as his sister – someone whom he would once give his _life_ for – climbed into the carriage and walked away. The only thing he had left of her were those words, devoid of all meaning and emotion.

No, that wasn’t true. As a matter of fact, they’d been full of emotion. Just not one he’d ever expect to be hearing.

_Relief._

Because, after all, no one stayed. No one _wanted_ to stay. Not even his own family.

Watts awakes with a spasm, overwhelmed by a sudden panic and an urge to scream _don’t leave me!_ that he only just manages to contain thanks to Jack’s gentle hand on his arm.

“Llewellyn,” the other man says softly. A lantern flickers on. Watts screws his eyes shut again and focuses on his breathing. In, out. In, out. Calm down.

“I’m alright,” he says finally. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in nothing but his lower underwear, with his feet dangling off the side.

Jack shifts up onto his elbows – Watts can tell by the movement of the bed. He doesn’t need his eyes to be aware of things. In fact, he finds he never _liked_ relying on eyesight. There is, after all, so much to be learned through hearing alone…

But he’s getting off track. He should open his eyes.

Any minute now.

“Llewellyn,” Jack repeats. “Look at me.”

He doesn’t want to. For he knows, he will be greeted with an expression of concern, but Jack’s voice is soothing, and relaxes some of the tension in his body.

So, Watts opens his eyes.

Indeed, Jack wears worry on his face, but a smile dances upon his lips as well. Watts feels confused. Then again, Jack seems to always _be_ smiling, no matter what. This shouldn’t come as any surprise.

“I’m okay,” Watts says, though Jack hadn’t asked.

The other man nods and shifts so that they are shoulder to shoulder. “I know.”

Watts is shivering. When on earth had that started? He looks down at his hands and realizes they are shaking, too, and now Jack has noticed this, and Watts bites his lip. “Just a nightmare,” he reassures him, answering the question Jack hadn’t even spoken aloud yet.

Jack eyes him carefully and nods. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Watts isn’t used to being spoken to like this. As a boy, he was never treated with such a softness one might give to a daughter. Sometimes he longed for it; other times he wondered how the girls put up with it.

It feels especially strange being spoken to like this by a man, and not just any man, but one he would call a lover. A sweetheart. Yet, it isn’t unwelcome.

“I’m not sure,” Watts says after realizing he still hadn’t answered. He knits his eyebrows together in confusion. “I’m not…”

“It’s okay,” Jack reassures him, once again using the soft and relaxing tone. “You don’t have to.”

Suddenly, Watts turns to face him, his eyes wide and alert. “You will stay, right?” he sputters out.

Jack raises an eyebrow and gives a short chuckle. “Pardon?”

“I mean, not forever…”

“You do not believe we will last forever?”

 _Uh-oh,_ Watts thinks. “Well, nothing lasts forever,” he says quickly. Thank goodness for philosophies. “Eventually we shall both pass on and, even if we manage to stay together for the rest of our lives, it will come to an end. Theoretically, the only things to last forever-”

“Llewellyn.” Jack holds up a hand and the off-duty detective shuts his mouth quickly. Jack gives a sigh and runs his hand through his hair. “Look, Llewellyn. I cannot predict the future. Neither can you, but for now, I will stay. As long as you want me to.”

“As long as you want me to,” Watts echoes quietly. “I suppose, Mr. Walker, I should be promising the same.”

“Indeed, Detective Watts. It would not be a very fair relationship otherwise.” Jack’s grin serves to show the humour in his words. Carefully, he reaches forward and takes one of Watts’ shaking hands. “You need not worry. I’m right here.”

Watts only nods mutely to this. The despair of his sister leaving still holds his heart prisoner, but at least there’s someone to ease the burden. “I suppose we should go back to sleep,” he sighs. “It is three in the morning, and I must be getting to work early.”

“Is your mind always on your work?”

Before Watts can react, Jack has his arm wrapped around his chest and is pushing him down back onto the pillow. He wears a rather boyish and mischievous grin that’s reserved for his lover and slowly lies down as well. “Enjoy the moment, Llewellyn.”

Jack plants a small kiss on Watt’s lips and snuggles into the man’s warmth. He’s asleep within seconds.

For a long time, an hour maybe, Watts lies awake and stares at the ceiling. He cannot get back to sleep, but it’s not fear nor dread he’s feeling. As Watts lies perfectly still so as not to disturb the man currently asleep on his arm, he’s smiling the biggest smile he’s worn in years.


End file.
